Excessive shedding/grooming

[Fluffy Face]

Just recently, Serena (Fluffy Face) seems to be shedding more. There is more fur showing up around my apartment than usual, and I'm pretty sure her tail is less fluffy. She also appears to be grooming herself more. The only recent change has been her food, from Fancy Feast Classic Varieties to Dave's Cat Food 95% Premium (much higher quality than FF). I can't imagine it would be the food. I also noticed she has a wound under her chin. Thought it might be the porcelain bowls, although she's been eating from them for a while. Switched to stainless steel just in case.

Her fur had gotten BETTER since switching to canned food and starting insulin. Not sure if this could still be diabetes-related...

Thoughts?

 

[Larry and Kitties]

Some cats have allergic reactions to some ingredients in food. One symptom scratching and over grooming. It doe not matter if the food i "high quality", just the ingredients.
The chin problem could be chin acne. It can be caused by plastic bowls and of not frequently cleaning glass/ceramic or stainless steel bowls.
Treatment it to clean the chins with a local antimicrobial like povidone/iodine, chlorhexadine and others too like Stridex Acne pads

 

[Erica & Carter]

Carter got chin acne from using plastic bowls. I switched to steel and used the Stridex Acne Pads, as Larry suggested, and it cleared up completely in 2 weeks.

He also used to obsessively groom and lick himself on his belly. I started adding .75ml of Nordic Naturals Omega 3s to his food every morning, and it completely cleared up and stopped him from licking/itching.

 

[Critter Mom]

Hi Danielle,

Serena is beautiful!

FWIW some cats shed like there's no tomorrow when they start getting some benefit from insulin treatment. My Saoirse scared the daylights out of me a few months after starting her treatment; she was never ever a sheddy cat but all of a sudden her coat started dropping out. I actually thought she might go bald at one stage. As it turned out, now that her body was able to use nutrients better with the help of her insulin her coat had started to grow again properly. Her new coat was amazing condition-wise when it grew back.

Obviously I can't possibly say whether that's what might be happening with the lovely Serena Fair, but it is a possible cause for such pronounced shedding. I suggest having your vet give Serena a once-over to make sure there's nothing else going on (especially with the sore chin in the mix).


Mogs
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